Apparatus for teeming molds



E. GATHMANN.

APPARATUS FOR TEEMING MOLDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1919.

ltltfilltd Nov. 11, 1919.

EMIL GATHMANN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

APPARATUS FOR TEEMING MOLDS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

'Application filed June 28, 1919. Serial No. 307,311.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMIL GATIDIANN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have inventcd certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Teeming Molds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for teeming molten metal from ladles and particularly to ladles or containers for teeming metal ingots, although the invention is not confined to this elass of apparatus, and could be used for teeming castings o'r-any other molten product where refractory containers must be employed due to high temperature of the molten metal.

In ordinary practice the ladle or container for the molten metal is provided at the bottom or in its lower portion with a discharge orifice or nozzle, which is controlled by what is termed a stopper, the lower portion of,

which is adapted to enter-a seat at the entrance of the discharge orifice. This entering portion is connected with a metallic rod surrounded by sleeves of refractory material and passes up through the molten metal and the slag blanket in the container or ladle. The diameter of the refractory sleeves covering the stopper rod is substantially the same as that portion of the stopper which enters the discharge orifice or sealing seat of the nozzle, although the stopper portion itself is usually tapered or rounded It occasionally happens that in using this type of stopper a vortex is formed in the molten metal which sweeps non-metallic particles that are carried in greater abundance in the upper portions of the liquid metal than in the lower portions thereof, due to their difference in specific gravity, downward to the discharge orifice and'into the article being cast. Particles Of'slag held in suspension mostly inthe upper portion of the molten metal, although ordinarily tending to rise to the top thereof, due to their specific gravity, also frequently pass downward in a stratified vertical stream or streams, and reach the discharge opening or nozzle and are discharged into the casting or ingot being formed. It is most desirable to prevent, or to reduce as much as possible, the passage of included slag and non-metallic device of material with the metal being teemed, as these non-metallic impurities and slag particles all tend to lessen the homogeneity of the article cast.

According to my invention I provide a very simple character which greatly remedies this difficulty in teeming from ladles of the kind referred to, in that it prevents direct, stratified, downward, vertical currents through the mass of metal to the discharge opening or nozzle, and also prevents to a great degree vorteXing of the metal aboutthe discharge opening, which vortexing in itself produces downward, vertical, stratified currents which it is desirable to reduceor obviate.

I have discovered by a series of experiments that if a suitable battling device be applied nearthe discharge opening, preferably attached to the stopper near that portion whichcontrols the discharge opening, the flow of metal through the discharge orifice will be made more uniform and not stratified, and I believe this to be a broad feature of improvement in this class of ladle's. More specifically the invention consists in providing a stopper or stopper rod,

or rather the stopper sleeve, With an enlarged portion near the entering end of the stopper, which battling device is of materially larger diameter, at least two to three times, than either the stopper itself or the refractory sleeves surrounding the stopper rod, and at least four to eight times the diameter of the discharge outlet or nozzle. This baflle plate or device'has the efi'ect of preventing the metal from flowing directly downward or vertically adjacent to the stopper rod in a segregated stream or streamlets to the discharge orifice or nozzle, and promotes a more uniform, greatly-to-be-desired, downward settling of the molten charge as a whole in the ladle or container, and induces an entrance into the discharge orifice or nozzle from an approximately horizontal rather than from a direct vertical strata of the metal. In this way vortexing is largely prevented, and the greatly-desired more homogeneous lower strata of the moltenv metal is progressively delivered to the ingot or casting being teemed, which lower strata as before stated is freer of included, nonmetallic particles. and also suspended slag, due to the difference in specific gravity of these im urities and the molten metal. than the upper portion of the metal carried by the ladle.

My improvements are illustrated in the aoconmanying drawiiigrs and will be. hereinafter more specifically described.

In the drawings Figure- 1 is a View, mainly in section. illustintinga ladle for teeming ingot molds. emlxidying my improvements and showing in perspective a. mold associated with said ladle so as to receive metal therefrom. In this particular instance I have illustrated what is known in the art as a plate or slab mold, the nozzle of the ladle being specially constructed to teem this kind of a mold.

Fig. 2 is a detail view. on an enlarged scale and in section, showing: the preferred way of equipping a ladle stopper rod, or sleeve with my improvements.

The ladle A is in general of well-known construction. comprising a casing a, a lining Z) of suitable refractory material and straps which strengthen the structure. In this instance the ladle discharges through an orifice in the bottom of the ladle preferably located centrally. The discharge orifice X is located in a bushing or plug of suithle refractory material. The inner or upper portion of the orifice is preferably tapered as shown. and as is usual. The discharge nozzle is constructed in accordance with the. priucipl forth in my patents of a h. 1 19. Nos. L'ZQRAWA. 1.298.033 and 1993.036, but in the present case, the nozzle is constructed to teem plate or slab molds of the kind illustrated in Fig. l.

istriu-tion of the nozzle are not imcunt so far as my present invention is (P-.EUPlirWi. udprcferably the nozzle l.\ constructed illustrated. The bushing or plug is held in place by a plate D bolted set in the bottom of the ladle as illustrated o1" E. E rate blocks of refractory material havvertically arranged orifices c. Two such are preferably employed and the orili es c con'inmnicnte with horizontal passages l which in turn comnumicate with a horizontally arranged passage f/ in a centrallv arranged block (i. The l)l4)f'l( l). l and (I are held in a casing or frame ll. in the manner indicated. The. central portion ll. of the frame supports the central bloclc well as the blocks E and I while thc casing H is provided with a flange 11 which support tlue outer ends of the blocks [C and Sand. clay or other suitable material surround the blocks as indicated and those i ioclcs are also preferably cover d with such insulating material. after which a plate i may he placed over all and secured in place xwise suitably secured thereto.

The details if desirable. The frame H is provided with arms or extensions J which are connected with bolts K attached to the ladle. In this way the discharge nozzle is held firmly in place but may be detached when required.

The mold V, shown in Fig. 1, is of well known construction. It rests on a stool V in the usual Way.

It Will be observed that the nozzle discharges approximately vertically into the mold and preferably, as specified in my be fore-mentioned patents, the discharge openings of the nozzle are of larger diameter collectively than the discharge orifice of the ladle and care is taken that the streams of metal issuing from the nozzle are directed away from the side walls of the mold. I Wish to have it clearly understood, how ever that my present invention does not relate to the special construction of the nozzle. It may be applied to ladies equipped with various kinds of nozzles. either those shown in my patents before mentioned. or others used or known in this art. My present invention relates to devices for controlling thc'discharge' of metal from the ladle.-

As hereinbefore stated, I have found in the old, actual practice that the discharge of metal from the ladle is fretuicntly irregular. and I have accounted for this irregularity hy the fact that vertexes have been observed in the molten metal in'the ladle or container. which I find are caused by the direct. downward. stratified flow to the discharge nozzle. I have also observed that at times slag is drawn down from the lower part of the blanket of slag covering the.

meal. and frequently some slap particles held in suspension pass down through relatively cleaner molten metal in seer-cautions. and are discharfl'cd from the nozzle with the metal. This accounts for irregularities in the homogeneous quality of metal delivered from the container or ladle. I have discovered that these dilliculli'c and objections may be overcome by providing" devices. which will largely prevent or reduce vortexing' of the metal. or prevent downward pa sage of stratilicd Sll'ltllll or currents occurring in the material as ilic metal l. discharged from the nozzle. and that will direct the How of the stream or current in a horizontal plane or '1'0lll'. l toward the dis charge orifice. allowing the upper llltlS of metal to become more uniform and free from air. slag and non-metallic particle heforc its discharge from the ladle through the nozzle. as normally will occur by the action of the laws of gravitation.

In itssiniplcsl form my invention i'nlhld in providing a ballling device which i a o izitcd with lhai part of theetopper or rod sh-cvcs which cullli'ols the ontlehfrom the ladle. This baffling device preferably consists of a plate or part of much larger d1- ameter than either the stopper proper or the stopper rod refractory sleeves which has the effect of preventing vertical downward stratified currents or streams of metal earrying impurities from the higher and more segregated area of the metal in the ladle or container, and insures the more quiet and uniform passage of metal laterally toward the discharge orifice before entering the same, thus preventing any stratified or segregated downward current or stream. Where such a. device is employed it should be so arranged on the stopper, stopper rod or rod sleeves that it shall not touch the ladle lining either at side or bottom when the stopper plug per se closes the orifice or discharge nozzle, as it might otherwise adhere thereto by freezing of molten metal at this part of ladle and thus interfere with the proper operation of the stopper and discharge nozzle. As shown, the baffling device S on stopper Z which must usually be opened and closed many times during the teeming of a heat of metal is preferably made circular in cross section, and preferably has a tapered top as shown. It has a central opening through which exiends the stopper proper Z which is made of refractory material, as is the battle plate, and is attached to, the end of the stopper rod id. The sleeves T of refractory material are shown of ordinary construction. Other shapes or cross sections of bafiiing devices can obviously be used as may be found of value in specific ladle construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The stopper proper is preferably of such vertical length below the baiile that when the stopper enters its seat, the bottom of the haille is held away from the bottom wall of the ladle. Preferably the bottom of the lmillo is flat aml horizontal. while the top thereof is preferably tapered as shown.

ln operating the topper. the best results can he. obtained if it is not raised in the ladle any more than sufficient to allow the molten metal to flow with sufficient freedom through the discharge opening.

lrlaim as my invention:

1. ladle or container for molten metal provided with a discharge orifice having a valve. seat and provided also with a stopper rod having a valve portion which closes said discharge orifice. and a bafliing device mounted on said stopper rod immediately air me that portion which closes said orifice and which is materially larger in diameter than the valve seat, whereby direct vertical stratified currents through the metal carried in the ladle are prevented.

3. ladle or container for molten metal provided with a discharge orifice having a valve seat and provided also with astopper rod having a valve portion adapted to close said orifice, and a battling device associated with said stopper rod of materially larger diameter than said stopper rod and also of materially larger diameter than the valve seat. 1 1

3 A ladle or container for molten metal provided with a discharge orifice having a valve seat. and a stopper comprising a rod and having a portion fitting said valve seat and adapted to close said orifice, and a battle larger in diameter than the upper portion of the valve seat and the lower portion of which. when the orifice is closed by the stopper, is held above the lower wall of the ladle, the vertical length of the stopper below said baffle being greater than the depth of the stopper seat.

4. A ladle or container for molten metal provided with a discharge orifice having a valve seat at its upper portion and provided also with a stopper rod having a valve portion adapted to close the discharge orifice at said valve. seat and a bathing device for preventing direct vertical stratified currents through the. molten metal carried in the ladle mounted above said valve portion on the stopper rod, said battling device being out of the zone of contact with the valve seat.

5. A ladle or container for molten metal valve seat, and provided also with a stopper constructed of refractory material having a portion which controls said orifice adapted to seat in said valve seat and associated with an enlarged hafiling device separably connected with the stopper rod, which baffling device is out of contact with the ladle lining and the valve seat of the orifice when the stopper closes said orifice.

6. ladle or container for molten metal provided with a discharge orifice having a valve seat, and means for closing said orifice comprising a stopper rod inclosed in refractory material and a stopper valve adapted to seat. in said valve seat, and a baflling device of materially larger diameter than the stopper rod and its inclosing sleeve of insulating material and which is arranged near the end of the stopper rod which controls the discharge orifice and is out of contact with the 'alve seat of said orifice both when the orifice is closed and open.

7. ladle or container for molten metal provided with a discharge orifice in its bottom portion. a valve seat at the upper portion of said discharge orifice, a stopper for controlling said discharge orifice and means in the ladle above said discharge orifice of materially larger diameter than the stopper rod and the valve seat of said orifice for preventing downward, stratified currents 7 through the molten metal to the discharge opening or nozzle of the ladle;

stopper seat and a stopper, and a bafile of relatively large diameter as compared with said stopper seat and stopper, and the lower side of which when the stopper is seated in the stopper seat is held above the said stopperseat and the lower Walls of the ladle, the vertical length of the stopper below said baffle being greater than the depth of stop- 10 per seat.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EMIL GATHMANN. 

